But we don’t believe that one camera strap can be everything to everybody. One group of photographers that we got a lot of feedback from was from professional photographers. They wanted all the speed of our SpeedCinch mechanism but they wanted a sling strap that was even lighter and more durable than the UltraFit Sling Strap and wanted more peace of mind for their $3000 gear. So, for the pros, we created the Pro Sling Strap.

Like the UltraFit Sling Strap, the Pro Sling Strap has our SpeedCinch deployment system that lets photographers quickly secure their camera if they needed their hands free for a few moments but still lets them quickly deploy their camera. But we also included a cam lock to let you lock your camera in place if you wanted to do things like like ride your bike, hike, etc. but still easily unlock it when you needed to get shooting. One of our designers even wanted a video of somebody jumping on a trampoline with the sling strap and camera locked in place because that’s not something other camera straps let you do (or maybe he just wanted an office trampoline.)

To solve the puzzle of something lighter but stronger, we scoured the world for just the right materials and manufacturing. We designed a material and shoulder strap that is extremely tough and durable but still soft enough to fold up to practically nothing without even getting kinks. The new shoulder strap on the Pro Sling Strap is computer-loomed and manufactured with so much precision that we were able to put in an integrated tread on the strap to prevent it from slipping but still have the shoulder strap be one seamless material. The UltraFit Sling Strap is already one of the lightest sling straps on the market already, but we don’t think you’ll feel anything like the Pro Sling Strap.

The second feedback that we got from professional photographers is that they wanted more security and peace of mind from the strap. The new strap is substantially more durable than the UltraFit Sling Strap (which is still plenty tough) because of its more precise, integrated construction. But we’ve also included a camera tether for those photographers who were uncomfortable with relying solely on a the camera’s 1/4-20″ tripod mount. If you screw in your sling strap tight into your camera tripod mount and regularly check it to see if it’s secure, your camera should be secure. But we understand that some people want extra insurance. So, we created a minimal but super strong camera tether that attaches to the shoulder lug of your camera and is made out of the same Dyneema cording that you’ll see in mountain climbing or sailing.

Combine the Pro Sling Strap with our popular UltraPlate that lets you use your tripod and camera strap at the same time, and you’ve got the perfect pro setup. Check our the Pro Sling Strap and let us know what you think!

Don’t wear a pain in the neck

Neck straps seem to be the most common straps used by beginner photographers, but so many of them seem so limited, bulky, and uncomfortable. They often look more like torture devices than camera gear. How many times have you seen a neck strap turned into a tourniquet wrist strap as the photographer wraps it around his wrist until it starts to turn blue?

By creating a neck strap out of the same materials that we use for our sling straps, we could substantially cut down on the bulk and weight of the strap while still providing a softer, smoother neck strap. Now instead of looking like a mummy wrapped up in your neck strap, you can look all sleek while the wind blows through your hair (your results might vary).

But since we’re JOBY, we thought it’d be cool to create a neck strap that could do more. Why just drive a car, when you can own a Transformer?

Our convertible neck strap can quickly turn into a wrist strap if you want to give your neck a break.

You can even quickly transform your convertible neck strap into a carrier mode for a third way of carrying your camera!

At JOBY, we think our customers should decide on how they should interact with their gear depending on the environment or just plain mood that they’re in. And we just think gear should just be fun! Check them out and let us know what you think on Facebook, Twitter, or in the comments below!

The UltraFit Hand Strap with UltraPlate combines a streamlined hand strap with our super rad UltraPlate baseplate. Because the hand strap is paired with a universal quick-release plate, you can keep the hand strap attached to your camera while mounting it to a tripod or even using another camera strap. The UltraFit Hand Strap with UltraPlate is compatible with standard and pro DSLRs with or without a battery grip.

The hand strap features JOBY’s UltraFit Layered-Pad Technology™, which provides lightweight support without the bulk. The thin strap pad conforms to the shape of your hand and won’t interfere with use of the camera’s controls. The UltraPlate’s practical design also provides easy access to a camera’s battery door for changes on the fly.

Comfortable for handheld shooting, the UltraFit Hand Strap with UltraPlate is also ideal for shooting with a tripod. The UltraPlate features a universal tripod quick-release plate with built-in Arca-Swiss compatibility. Unlike most baseplates on the market, the UltraPlate has two additional 1/4″-20 screw mounts so you can attach all types of accessories (like camera straps or flash brackets) to the UltraPlate without removing the hand strap, unlike most other hand straps on the market. This innovative hand strap + baseplate design makes the JOBY UltraFit Hand Strap with UltraPlate compatible with all camera tripods and camera straps! No more strap-tripod hassle!

The DSLR Wrist Strap is a simple cinching wrist strap designed for DSLRs or mirrorless/CSCs. Lightweight and comfortable – weighing less than a half ounce – it is our minimalist solution to keeping your camera safe and secure. Featuring a strongly braided cord with a smooth, soft-to-touch finish, the strap is designed to automatically tighten around the wrist if the camera is dropped. The DSLR Wrist Strap was designed for photographers who don’t want a camera strap that gets in their way but do crave the security a camera strap provides.

The DSLR Wrist Strap connects to a DSLR or mirrorless/CSC via universal shoulder lug attachment. The DSLR Wrist Strap comes in one adjustable size to fit most wrists and in two colors: charcoal and neon green.

]]>http://joby.com/blog/2013/09/new-joby-camera-straps-ultrafit-hand-strap-with-ultraplate-dslr-wrist-strap/feed/2UltraFit Sling Strap is an IDSA Design Award Finalist!http://joby.com/blog/2013/07/ultrafit-sling-strap-is-an-idsa-design-award-finalist/
http://joby.com/blog/2013/07/ultrafit-sling-strap-is-an-idsa-design-award-finalist/#commentsThu, 11 Jul 2013 19:29:12 +0000http://joby.com/blog/?p=3995Hurray! We’re happy to announce that our UltraFit Sling Strap is a finalist in the IDSA Industrial Design Awards! It is a big honor to be featured and we think this proves that our sling strap is without a doubt the best one out there. A big congratulations to our awesome design and engineering team! You guys rock!

]]>http://joby.com/blog/2013/07/ultrafit-sling-strap-is-an-idsa-design-award-finalist/feed/1Better Lighting Setups for Action Sports Photographyhttp://joby.com/blog/2013/06/better-lighting-setups-for-action-sports-photography/
http://joby.com/blog/2013/06/better-lighting-setups-for-action-sports-photography/#commentsMon, 17 Jun 2013 17:00:43 +0000http://joby.com/blog/?p=3557Photographer John Rathwell is an action sports photographer based in Ontario, Canada. Long hikes, wild weather conditions and tight set ups are all in a days work for John. We caught up with him to chat about how he uses his GorillaPod SLR-Zoom and GorillaPod Focus on a typical shoot.

Three-fingered Assistants

With more and more photographers working alone these days, and lighting as a key aspect of professional photography, it becomes clear that you need to have your lighting systems down.

To give you a little background on myself, I am the owner and photographer for John Rathwell Photography. I shoot action sports for commercial and editorial use. Lighting is key and is what sets me apart from a lot of action sports shooters. I often have to hike into areas and work in non-ideal weather. Keeping my gear to a minimum in size and weight is key for me. It must also be rugged and stand up to a lot of abuse as well as be quick and easy to work with.

I decided I would give GorillaPods a try, and in a way you wouldn’t think. Light stands have always been one of the most frustrating things to me. They are bulky, heavy and always fall over in windy conditions. Plus hiking in with sand bags just isn’t fun.

I use a GorillaPod SLR-Zoom with a Lastolite Triflash bracket and 1/4-20 adapter. These work great for holding my secondary lights or anytime you need one direct flash. Quick and secure setup and they go low on the ground or high in a tree branch in seconds.

When I need more power, I turn to my GorillaPod Focus. I have had up to 5 lights on it in heavy wind and it held fine! I have also used it with a softbox and umbrella and no issues at all. I never had to worry about it blowing over like a light stand!

I have started considering the GorillaPod SLR-Zoom and Focus my new 3-fingered assistants. They are flexible small, lightweight and strong. If you shoot anything outside and are into lighting they are worth a try!

I’ve also been using the UltraFit Sling Strap. I have used sling straps for years. Any sling strap is better then the traditional neck strap, but the Joby strap is the best one I have ever used. The issue with most sling straps is that when the camera is hanging at the right level at your hip and your bring it to your eye, especially when shooting a vertical shot, the strap is never long enough. So you lengthen it. Then it hangs way to low when you put it down. The Joby designers must have known this and were truly innovative in the design. The strap automatically looses when lifted and can tighten back up instead of just hanging at your hip. Perfect for shooting in tricky locations.

This shot uses 2 main light sources. The main light sits camera right and is mounted to a tree using a Focus. There are 3 flashes attached to a tri-bracket and a softbox on it. On camera left there is a bare flash held up by an SLR-Zoom on the ground.

This shot used almost the same setup as the mountain bike shot but both GorillaPodsPods are attached to a chain link fence and both are high above the subject.

Check out more of John’s awesome work on his website or see a video of him in action here.

Thanks John for sharing your awesome lighting tips! Need to squeeze a flash into a tight spot or tired of carrying heavy sandbags and light stands all over the great outdoors, check out our GorillaPod SLR-Zoom or GorillaPod Focus!

]]>http://joby.com/blog/2013/06/better-lighting-setups-for-action-sports-photography/feed/0Use your camera strap with your camera tripod!http://joby.com/blog/2013/05/use-your-camera-strap-with-your-camera-tripod/
http://joby.com/blog/2013/05/use-your-camera-strap-with-your-camera-tripod/#commentsWed, 22 May 2013 18:57:10 +0000http://joby.com/blog/?p=3913After our UltraFit Sling Strap launch, a good number of customers told us that they also wanted to use their camera strap with their tripod without having to unscrew the strap. So, we started looking for universal quick release tripod plates on the market to point our customers to. But we were surprised at how expensive and complicated they were. $50 – $100? That’s more than our sling strap!

So, our designers and engineers got to work.

We aim for simple but adaptable designs that put a lot of functionality in the hands of our users.

So, let’s start with a universal camera baseplate that’s made of hard-anodized machined-aluminum with a unibody design. That makes it tough, sleek, and small.

We’ll include two ¼-20” female mounting holes for your accessories like camera straps or flash brackets. We’ll include a slot for your hand and wrist strap.

Let’s give it an extra long mounting slot so you can position the base plate where it makes the most sense to you. Now, you have a total camera platform!

Let’s make it an Arca-Swiss compatible tripod plate so you can just slide your camera into the most common mounting system for tripods. But if you’re using something like a Manfrotto® RC2 ballhead, you can attach the UltraPlate to the ¼-20” screw of an RC2 quick-release plate.

We don’t like tools that get in our way so let’s make it small at 2.8” x 1.7” (Arca-Swiss dovetail is 1.5″ wide) x 0.5” (7.2 x 4.3/3.85 x 1.25 cm) and weighing only 1.65 oz (47g) so that it fits nicely underneath your DSLR camera or compact system camera.

And finally, let’s make it $19.95 so it’s a no-brainer for everybody to have one for their camera.

Check out our video below on the UltraPlate and buy one for your camera today!

Rules:• Winner must reside in the continental USA or Canada.
• One entry per person.• Contest closes on November 11 at 11:59pm PT.• Entrants opt-in to JOBY + CanvasPop’s mailing list for cool promotions and inspiration, post-contest.

Plus, you’ll save 25% off your next CanvasPop order with code GREATGEAR25 through November 11. Sweet!

]]>http://joby.com/blog/2012/11/win-our-new-gear-plus-awesome-prints-from-canvaspop/feed/0How to Scout in Crowded Cities, plus UltraFit Sling Strap Review!http://joby.com/blog/2012/11/how-to-scout-in-crowded-cities-plus-ultrafit-sling-strap-review/
http://joby.com/blog/2012/11/how-to-scout-in-crowded-cities-plus-ultrafit-sling-strap-review/#commentsThu, 01 Nov 2012 17:31:29 +0000http://joby.com/blog/?p=3453Professional travel photographer Elia Locardi shares how he scouts and shoots in busy European Cities with his favorite gear configurations, including the new UltraFit Sling Strap! Learn how to scout and shoot in very crowded cities, plus check out a great review of our new strap and enjoy some awesome photography of Venice from Elia on his website Blame the Monkey!